GMC recruiting for new Chair

Published 11 April 2018

The General Medical Council (GMC) has started a recruitment campaign for a new Chair to take over from Professor Sir Terence Stephenson at the end of his four-year term leading the regulator’s Council. 

Applications will be open until 9 May to both lay and medical candidates, across the four countries of the UK. The position is being advertised through a wide range of media publications and recruitment websites. 

Professor Sir Terence Stephenson started as GMC Chair on 1 January 2015 and his fixed-term post will finish later this year. Previously he served as a Council member from 2009 until 2012. 

"Serving as the GMC’s Chair has been an enormous privilege and a great challenge for me. I am extremely proud of what we have achieved during my time as Chair. But there is plenty more to do and the GMC is continually striving to improve"

Professor Sir Terence Stephenson

GMC Council Chair

Under his leadership the GMC has significantly stepped up its support for doctors – from developing mobile apps so doctors can access ethical guidance on the go, to increasing the number of staff working with doctors on the front line across the UK. He has overseen a number of initiatives to support doctors in training, including the GMC’s move to understand the impact of burnout on medical education and training in their national training surveys. And he has overseen the start of the process of introducing a Medical Licensing Assessment, to bring greater consistency to how doctors show they have the capabilities to join the register.

He has also steered the GMC through an intense period of operational savings, leading to the introduction of a new fixed-term discount for newly qualified doctors when they join the register and reductions across the board for all other fees.  

The role of the Chair is to provide leadership to the GMC’s Council, heading up Council meetings and working closely with the Chief Executive and the senior management team. They also engage with Ministers, leaders of the medical profession and patient groups in all four countries of the UK and act as an ambassador for the GMC.

Professor Sir Terence Stephenson said: 

‘Serving as the GMC’s Chair has been an enormous privilege and a great challenge for me. I am extremely proud of what we have achieved during my time as Chair. But there is plenty more to do and the GMC is continually striving to improve.

‘There is no doubt that my successor will be joining the GMC at a critical point in time for the medical profession, in systems under pressure. We are looking for someone with high personal credibility, strong diplomatic skills and the ability to build and manage effective relationships. They will also play a vital role in driving forward our new strategy, which shifts the emphasis of our work from acting when things have gone wrong to continued support for all doctors in the delivery of the highest standards of care.’

The recruitment process will follow guidelines set out by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA), Good practice in making council appointments.

The selection panel is made up of two current members of the GMC’s Council and three individuals independent to the GMC. They are responsible for making recommendations for appointment to the Privy Council. The Privy Council then make the final decision. All stages of the recruitment process will be managed by an external agency, GatenbySanderson.

There is more information about the role and application process on the GatenbySanderson website. 

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Notes to editors

Selection

The Chair’s term of office is determined by the Privy Council on appointment.

The selection panel is made up of two members of our Council and three individuals independent from Council and the GMC.  For this appointment, this will be:  

  • Baroness Usha Prashar, who had led a number of public and voluntary organisations. She is currently Deputy Chair of the British Council. Baroness Prashar is chair of the selection panel. 
  • Professor Deirdre Kelly, a registrant Member of Council and Chair of the GMC Audit and Risk Committee.
  • Dame Denise Platt, a Lay Member of Council and Chair of the GMC Remuneration Committee.
  • David Sloman, the Chief Executive of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.
  • Maeve Hully, the Chief Executive of the Patient and Client Council in Northern Ireland (independent panel member).

In accordance with PSA’s guidance, selection panels should consist of at least three and no more than five members and should be credible to inspire confidence in the integrity of the process. 

Panels must include at least one member who is independent of the regulator in order to bring an impartial perspective. They are also required to provide a report to the PSA at the end of the selection process. For this appointment, Maeve Hully is the independent panel member. 

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About us

The General Medical Council (GMC) is the independent regulator of doctors in the UK.

The GMC works with doctors, their employers, their educators and others to:

  • set the standards of patient care and professional behaviours doctors need to meet.
  • make sure doctors get the education and training they need to deliver good, safe patient care.
  • check who is eligible to work as a doctor in the UK and check they continue to meet the professional standards it sets throughout their careers.
  • give guidance and advice to help doctors understand what’s expected of them.
  • investigate where there are concerns that patient safety, or the public’s confidence in doctors, may be at risk, and take action if needed.

The GMC is independent of government and the professionals it regulates, and is accountable to the UK Parliament.